On 20 July, the world’s richest man, Jeff Bezos, was launched into space in a rocket built by his company Blue Origin. This resources pack includes an article from The Week Junior magazine, along with a sheet of activities designed to get children thinking, talking and writing about what the story means to them.
Debate
Some people have suggested that spending so much money on what they see as a ‘vanity project’ is worrying behaviour, when there are so many serious issues on our own planet that Jeff Bezos’ wealth could help to address. Surely we should be trying to persuade these men to put their money to better use? Or really, is it none of our business? People should be free to decide how they spend their own cash, whether it’s a few pounds or hundreds of millions. And the spirit of curiosity and adventure represented by Bezos’ rocket might well be what will solve all of Earth’s problems in the end… what do you think?
Writing challenges
Imagine you are a billionaire, the day before you are due to set off into space in your own rocket. Write a diary entry explaining how you are feeling, and why you’ve decided to make the journey.
Or
Write a letter to an imaginary billionaire who lives in your town, trying to persuade them to spend some of their money on a local cause that you feel really passionate about.
Investigate
The first person to travel into space was Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin, in 1961. Find out as much information as you can about his journey and compile a fact file of questions and answers.
Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download here.
What is The Week Junior?
The Week Junior magazine looks at current affairs and helps children make sense of the world, provides context and clarity to complex issues, improves general knowledge and encourages discussion and debate.
To find out more about The Week Junior and to download its free resources, please go to schools.theweekjunior.co.uk.